PHIL Bell will make his debut for Southport and Birkdale's first team in their Liverpool Competition First Division fixture at Rainhill tomorrow.

The former Maghull seamer and Lee Bolton both come into the side because injury has ruled out Kyle Cranston for the next few weeks, and Mark Fletcher is unavailable for the Bank Holiday weekend matches.

On Monday, Bell gives way to Adam Galley for the derby against Fleetwood Hesketh.

Bolton, Bell and Galley all played important roles in S&B second team's win over Highfield last Saturday.

Bell and Galley collected four wickets each as the Wigan-based side were dismissed for 182, and then Bolton made an unbeaten 136 to seal the eight-wicket win.

S&B go into the holiday games relatively well-placed after last Saturday's three-wicket defeat of Formby.

While ninth place in the table was not where Chris Firth hoped his team would be at this stage of the season, S&B are still 60 points clear of the relegation places, one of which, sadly, is occupied by Fleetwood Hesketh.

No genuine cricket lovers will be pleased to see the Sea Cop side in their current plight.

Over the last decade the Marshside club has produced a series of outstanding teams who have represented the town with great distinction in the ECB Premier League.

While Firth and his men remain dead keen to beat their old and, thankfully, friendly rivals on Monday, they understand that the best interests of Southport cricket would be served by having four strong clubs challenging each other for dominance.

Whether this is possible given the current strength of the pool of talent in the town and the attractions of playing elsewhere is another question.

Gloating about your rivals' misfortune, however, is the preserve of the pathetic.